About Slow Progress Records
Slow Progress is a record and coffee shop based in Old Town, Edinburgh, just off the Royal Mile. We opened in October 2022.
The aim was to create a friendly neighbourhood record store that you can loiter in.
I wanted to curate a selection of mainly guitar-based music that reflected my own tastes, so we stock indie-rock, alt-rock, punk, emo, hardcore, post-hardcore, post-rock along with a wee bit of modern-pop. A mix of new releases and old classics.
Just pop in, have a look through the records, grab a coffee from the wonderful Edinburgh-based Santu while having a snack. Even if you aren’t a vinyl collector you can enjoy the vibe and enjoy simply looking at the artwork.
The first was Idles – ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’ and the last was The Van Pelt – ‘Sultans of Sentiment’.
Not the first, but as a young teen in Edinburgh, my mates and I loved visiting Fopp and Avalanche on Cockburn Street.
The first CD album I remember choosing for myself was Blur – ‘Parklife’, although it could easily have been one of my other favourites of that time… Aqua or Steps.
Monorail in Glasgow is class! Grab some lunch and a beer in Mono before digging through a great selection of records, what could be better.
Not too long after opening one morning, two members of Muna came into the shop while my me and my girlfiend were still trying to get organised with our baby running around. We failed to recognise them which led to an awkward interaction of asking what they were up to in Edinburgh…
Too many great ones to list! Seeing The Rolling Stones playing Hyde Park in 2013 was such a memorable experience.
‘The Beach’ by Alex Garland.
I love coming-of-age films and the ultimate is ‘Stand by Me’.
Jimmy Eat World – ‘23’, Julia Jacklin – ‘Pressure to Party’, Andrea Bocelli – ‘Con te Partirò’, Idlewild – ‘In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction’, Manchester Orchestra – ‘Colly Strings’, Kate Bush – ‘Wuthering Heights’, Bright Eyes – ‘You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will.’, The Proclaimers – ‘Sunshine on Leith’.
The bands and artists I’ve mentioned elsewhere, along with Nirvana, Mogwai, Sharon Van Etten, Fugazi, The Beths, R.E.M., The Twilight Sad, At the Drive-in and Frightened Rabbit.
A tie between Idlewild – ‘The Remote Part’ and Jimmy Eat World – ‘Clarity’.
Other Participating Shops